Greece Arcadia tops Pittsford Mendon

Through four innings, Pittsford Mendon pitcher Shannon Grage seemed to be doing her best to end No. 1 seed Greece Arcadia's season, and with it the high school coaching career of Gary Meyers.

Grage allowed no hits by the Titans up until that point. Mendon led by four runs, three of which crossed home plate after a double and an RBI single by Grage.

The Titans rallied big however, scoring five times in the fifth and closing down Mendon to win the Section V Class A1 semifinal 5-4 Tuesday at The College at Brockport.

"The first two innings we were too far off the plate," Meyers said. "We changed our pattern starting in the third. We told them to get up on the line (of the batter's box), take away that outside pitch.

"We didn't score anything, but we had better at-bats. That's when it looked good for us. We were making better contact, stole a couple of bases, we were making some things happen."

Big moments came in bunches during the fifth, which included a solo home run to left-center field by Abijah Adams. Arcadia catcher Morgan Boyce put the Titans ahead 5-4 when she smashed a pitch over the wall in right-center field for a three-run homer.

"We definitely overestimated (Grage) I think," Boyce said. "We didn't want to go in there doubting her, so that would be too cocky going in.

"We definitely needed time to get used to her. We're not going to do that next game. We're going to come in and start going right away, get some runs on the board."

Arcadia (16-2), sectional champions from 2006 to 2008 during Meyers' 37 seasons as coach, face No. 2 Pittsford Sutherland (16-4) in the Class A1 sectional final at 6 p.m. Thursday at The College at Brockport. Sutherland stopped Mercy 6-3 in the second semifinal.

"We can do it," Adams said.

The Titans certainly want to do it for themselves, and see what they can do in the state tournament. There is also the incentive of obtaining at least a sectional trophy at the end of a career of a respected and popular coach.

"That's a big part of it," Boyce said. "Every single inning we say 'Do it for Meyers' and 'Why not us?'

"Because it's true. Why can't we go to the finals? Why can't we go to states? We can do it all. A huge part of it is for our coach, because it's our last year we want to do everything we can for him, because he's given us so much. It's time to give back."

Mary Klimek led off the Arcadia fourth with a walk and stole second, before the half-inning fizzled out. Different results when the Titans came up to bat in the fifth. Adams led-off.

"I had two strikes and thought, 'I might as well swing and see what happens,' " Adams said. "I actually closed my eyes."

The bat hit the ball, which sailed high and far, about 200 to 210 feet, to give the Titans a run. Amanda Dow drove in a run one out and one hit later. Another walk by Klimek set up Boyce's loud drive over the wall.

Arcadia pitcher Becky Knorr allowed one hit after Mendon scored twice in the third. The Vikings (10-7) were retired in order in the fourth, fifth and seventh.

"My starting lineup has a senior at third, a junior behind the plate and in left," Mendon coach Maureen Kempski said. "The rest are freshmen and sophomore, including the pitchers and infield.

"They got a little rattled when the one home run went out and took a minute to regroup. That was the difference today. But they will be back. Sometimes they need a minute and with Gary's team you can't give it a minute."